Word
aspire
Meanings
to have a strong desire to achieve something and make it a goal
to aim to reach a particular level, quality, or ideal
Definition
To aspire means to strongly want to achieve something important and work toward it.
To aspire is to aim for a particular goal, role, or standard that you consider valuable. It often suggests a long-term ambition rather than a quick wish. People usually aspire to something through effort, learning, and persistence.
Examples
- I aspire to lead teams that build products people genuinely trust.
- She aspires to a standard of writing that remains clear even under pressure.
- They aspire to win the competition, but they refuse to cut corners.
- We aspire to create a workplace where feedback is direct, respectful, and useful.
Common mistake
Learners often say "aspire for" instead of the more natural pattern "aspire to" (e.g., "aspire to success").
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.